Reversible heel



Jy m, R940. R. A. HAYDEN 2;208,6

REVERSIBLE HEEL Filed July 3l, 1939 Patented July 16, 1940 UNITED? STATES amazes PATENT OFFICE to Norman Brown, and one-third to Chester W. Brown, all of Chicago, Ill.

Application 'July 31M, i939, serian No. 287,530

4 Claims.

An object of my invention is to provide a reversible heel for shoes which can be readily reversed when it becomes worn, and thus theuseful life of the heel is considerably lengthened.

A further object is to provide one form of heel which is circular in outline and can be rotated to as many as four different positions, whereby the useful life of the heel is increased substantially fourfold. l v

Another object is to provide a heel and means for readily connecting it and disconnecting it relative to the heel portion of a shoe so that it can be readily removed and replaced or turned so that further wear will occur at a different portion of the heel as desired.

Another important object of my invention is to provide means to prevent undesired rotation of the heel after it is once adjusted on the shoe.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and one modication thereof. The drawing 'is not intended to be exhaustive and is not tobe taken as limiting the invention, but on the contrary is chosen with a view to illustrating my invention so that others skilled in the art may apply it under varying conditions of practical use and may make such modifications and changes therein as such conditions may make desirable.

vFigure 1 is a bottom plan View of a shoe with one form of my reversible heel mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the heel retaining nut in disconnected position;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a plate for connecting the heel with a shoe;

Figure 5 is a sectional View similar to Figure 2, showing a modified construction, and

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective View of said modified construction.

On the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference character S to indicate generally a shoe. The sole portion thereof is indicated at IIJ and the heel portion at I2. My reversible heel member is indicatedgenerally at H. For mounting it on the heel portion I2 of the shoe S, I provide a perforated plate I3 and a flanged nut I Il; The plate I3 is secured as by rivets or nails I5 to the heel portion I2 of the shoe. Extending downwardly from the plate I3 is a threaded stud I6 received in the nut Ill.

The heel member H may be made of rubber, leather, composition or the like, and includes a bore I'I for the shank of the ilanged nut I5. A

(Cl. 36e-39) counterbore I8 formed in the heel member I-I receives the ange of the nut.

The flange of the nut is provided with perfo rations I9 adapted to receive a Spanner wrench 26, as shown in Figure 3, for attaching or de taching the nut relative to the stud i6.

To prevent the heel member Il from undesirable rotation and thus keepit aligned with the outline of the heel portion of the shoe, as shown in Figure l, I provide a pair of integral wedge shaped projections 2l on the lower surface of the plate I3. The projections 2l have their thin ends adjacent the stud IE and their thick endsextended beyond the periphery of the plate I3. The heel member H has a pair of recesses 22 of substantially the saine shape as the projections 2l. When the heel member I-I is in assembled position on the heel portion i2 of the shoe S, these recesses snugly receive the projections 2l, thus serving to insure against any rotation whatever of the heel H relative to the shoe S.

The heel H has a worn portion indicated at 23 in Figure 1, which portion was the result of being originally positioned at 2d. Figure 1 illustrates the heel after it has been worn in this manner and turned so that the opposite edge of the heel may be at the point of greatest wear, indicated by the dotted portion 24. This arrangement substantially doubles the life of the heel.

In Figures 5 and 6, I show a construction adapted to substantially quadruple the life of the heel. The heel is indicated at I-I and is circular rather than oval as in Figure 1. It has other parts corresponding to those described in Figures 1 to 4 which bear the same reference numerals with the addition of a. It will be noted that there is only one projection Zia, but there are four recesses 22 c. I nd that although two projections 2l are desirable, one is suiicient if it is desirable to manufacture my invention at less expense. By providing four of the recesses 22a, the heel I-I may be turned only a quarter turn each time and thus four edges of it can be Worn ofi before it is necessary to discard the heel. When it is necessary to discard it, then the operation of attaching a new heel is extremely simple.

By making the projection 2l wedgelike, its greatest depth in the heel member His at its outer end, so as to give good leverage and a good grip in the depression 22 of the heel member to positively prevent any undesired rotation of the heel member relative to the shoe. It is not necessary, however, that the plate I3 be extended to a diameter coincident with the distance across the ends of the projection ZI and accordingly, by arranging the projection on the .lower surface of the-plate, the plate itself can l-jections extended beyond the periphery of the plate I3.

Having described two specific embodiments of my invention together with the operation theregof, I desire it to be understood that these forms are selected merely for the purpose of facilitating disclosure of the invention rather than for the purpose of limiting the number of forms which it may assume. It is to be further understood that various modifications, adaptations and alterations may be applied to the specific forms disclosed to meet the requirements of lpractice Without in any manner departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention except as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

l. In a reversible heel, a perforated plate nailed to the heel portion of a shoe, a threaded stud extending downwardly therefrom, a reversible heel member having a central opening receiving said stud, said opening being larger than said stud, a hanged nut on said stud having a shank in said opening, said heel member having a counterbore to receive the flange of said flanged nut and means to prevent said heel member from turning relative to said plate comprising a projection from said plate and a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending depressions in said heel member adapted to selectively coact with said projection, said projection kbeing wedgelike, being arranged radially on the lower surface of'said plate and having a portion projecting beyond the periphery thereof.

2. In a reversible heel, a stud aiiixed tothe heel portion of a shoe and extending downwardly therefrom, a reversible heel member having a central opening receiving said stud, means to retain said heel member on said stud and means to prevent said heel member from turning relative to said stud comprising a projection from said stud and a plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions in said heel member adapted to selectively coact with said projections.

3. In a reversible heel, a plate secured to the heel portion of a shoe, a threaded stud extending downwardly therefrom, a reversible heel member having a central opening receiving said stud, a nut on said stud to retain said heel member thereon, said nut being countersunk ln said heel member, and means to prevent said heel member from turning relative to said plate comprising a tapered projection from said plate and a plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions in said heel member adapted to selectively receive said projection, said projection being integral with and located on the lower surface of said plate and having its thin end adjacent said stud and its thick end extending beyond the periphery of said plate and said depressions being similarly tapered to fit said projection snugly.

4. In a reversible heel, a plate secured to the heel portion of a shoe and having a stud extending downwardly therefrom, a reversible heel stud, means on said stud to retain said heel member thereon and means to prevent said heel member from turning relative to said plate comprising a tapered projection from said plate and a plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions' in said heel member adapted to selectively receive said projection, said projection extending beyond the periphery of said plate and said depressions being tapered similarly to said projection to fit it snugly.

ROOSEVELT ALEXANDER HAYDEN.

sof-f1 member having a central opening receiving said /J 

